RelaxView 5.0 Dental Pack distracts from pain, does not clean teeth

In a clever bit of marketing designed to play to our deepest fears of oral torture at the hands of a disgruntled hygienist, Dutch manufacturer relaxView B.V. is bundling a head-mounted display with a portable DVD player and offering it up to dentists as a way to distract their victims patients from the unbearable pain. The RelaxView 5.0 Dental Pack combines the company's relaxView 3.0 HMD (simulates a 1.5-meter VGA screen at a distance of three meters), unnamed model of Discman, and "disposable hygiene set" (read: pack of alcohol swabs) into a package that differentiates itself by promising "optimum comfort" derived from a 65-gram weight and adjustable nose support. Not too shabby: if we had the rate our options in these situations, we'd pick watching a movie just ahead of staring at the colorful exam room artwork, and just behind a heavy drugging.

[Craig @ Oct 25th 2007 10:35AM]

my dad is a dentist and has been using something like this for many years (though it's not nearly so elegant or small).

he also tried using iPods instead of portable CD players, but most people found the iPod to be too complicated.

[jodeltje @ Oct 25th 2007 10:52AM]

I'm still telling my dentist to do something about his all white ceiling :s

[mikey @ Oct 25th 2007 10:53AM]

Sure, it might distract form the pain. Doesn't distract you from the fact that you look like a total DOUCHE.

[yekim @ Oct 25th 2007 11:00AM]

Based on your post, I can only guess that you get told this a lot. Thanks for sharing.

[Shane @ Oct 25th 2007 11:00AM]

I'm sure the way you look is your biggest worry you're sitting in that chair with the spit tube sucking away at your inner cheek...

[BeforeISleep.net @ Oct 25th 2007 12:02PM]

Wow, Mikey, you seriously care what you look like in the dentist's office? Trying to impress the hygienists, I see? Good luck -- they don't typically go for pre-pubescent whiny teenagers.

[peternj @ Oct 25th 2007 10:57AM]

I hate this, a good dental hygienist should not be hurting you in the first place.
No one goes to the hygienist who hurts regardless of DVD or iPods or whatever.

[lynn117 @ Oct 25th 2007 11:10AM]

i wouldnt need this for a cleaning but for other dental procedures i would try it. my dentist wears glasses and i can see the reflection of what he is doing if i dont keep my eyes squeezed tightly shut. i bring my own ipod to block out any drilling. heck if it would help my nerves i would go in wearing a clown suit and big rubber shoes. who cares what i look like at the dentist!

[Tatohead @ Oct 25th 2007 11:12AM]

If the dentist administers laughing gas, the device will start playing Pink Floyd's "The Wall"

[RedBull Runner @ Oct 25th 2007 1:04PM]

synchronized with "Alice in Wonderland" of course!

[Steve C @ Oct 25th 2007 1:36PM]

@Redbull Runner:
"The Wall" is a movie, in addition to an album. And the movie that syncs with the album is "The Wizard of Oz".

If my dentist administered laughing gas while I got to watch "The Wizard of Oz" synchronized with Pink Floyd's "The Wall" I think I might actually schedule an appointment.

[Brian @ Oct 25th 2007 2:36PM]

@Steve C

Close, it's actually Dark Side of the Moon that syncs up with Wizard of Oz.

[jmattick @ Oct 25th 2007 11:14AM]

I can imagine, just sitting there, watching an episode of Scrubs, and then from behind you, you hear the drill start. You try not to think about it, and focus on the episode you were watching. And then, you see it... Out of the corner of your eye... Is that a Black and Decker, you think. No, no, keep watching the episode. Wait. He's not supposed to be... Not there. AHHHHHHHHHH.

And there is the plot of Saw 5. Just watch. You saw it here first.

[David W. @ Oct 25th 2007 11:20AM]

hahahahaha awesome.

[sp00ks102 @ Oct 25th 2007 11:24AM]

I like the idea...it would help to get away from those awkward moments I have with my female dentist, where we lock eyes and she has that mask on. It's either I look at her eyes or stare at the light, neither of which is particularly good. This is a good option to have, even for a regular cleaning.

[HineyWipe @ Oct 25th 2007 11:25AM]

Um, needs to be bigger to shield your eyes from the tooth fragments and spray while the dentist finds that live root!


"Does that hurt? Awww...how about THIS!!"

Then have it play infomercials...KaBOOM! Yeah, that toupé will distract any pain!

[Frankenstein Black @ Oct 25th 2007 11:54AM]

“Her teeth are so yellow, her tonsils where sunglasses”
“Her teeth are so yellow, when she drinks water it turns to lemonade”
“Her teeth are so yellow, Oh enough already, lol...

[Phillip Donley @ Oct 25th 2007 12:09PM]

I don't think this would be able to be used in most dentist offices. The one I do IT work for would have to add a special shield between the device and the cheek to prevent things from splashing under and into the eye.

That is the main reason these things haven't been selling. If these companies payed attention to safety regulation and thought about how to share the device without it looking or feeling gross, they would be rich.

[kevjohn @ Oct 25th 2007 1:05PM]

Can't wait to see what they come up come up with for urologists and proctologists!

[Steve C @ Oct 25th 2007 1:41PM]

Actually Redbull runner, you've got me all screwed up!!! The Pink Floyd album that syncs with "The Wizard of Oz" is "The Dark Side of the Moon". When played together it's called "The Dark Side of Oz". I don't know where you're getting this "The Wall" syncing with "Alice in Wonderland" crap. :P

[Steve C @ Oct 25th 2007 1:46PM]

there needs to be a delete comment function. apparently The wall does sync with Alice in Wonderland http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Amphitheatre/3528/pf_syncs/sync_pf_n.html

[etmthree @ Oct 25th 2007 1:47PM]

"A Clockwork Orange" meets "Marathon Man" -- how fun!

[Steve Wells @ Oct 25th 2007 2:04PM]

My dentists just has a bigass LCD screen bolted to the ceiling. Only nature shows or somesuch, but entertaining anyway.

[Asper @ Oct 25th 2007 2:50PM]

Look at www.relaxview.eu

This photo is even more awesome!!!

http://www.relaxview.eu/img/pressSupport/FUN-Web-photo-of-patient-distraction-with-video-eyewear-at-dentist.jpg

[homant @ Oct 25th 2007 3:30PM]

All it needs is a loop of Steve Martin from Little shop of Horrors:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=On3mrKW-Nk0

[Haytham @ Oct 25th 2007 7:36PM]

Hello there,
i'm a dentist myself and i'm telling u this won't work, for many reasons..
first u have to keep in touch with ur patient, u dont really want him totally "distracted"
second the patient won't really get distracted while a 250,000+ rpm drill is running in his mouth
third i can't think of something strong enough to distract the patient, it has to be something really "hardcore" and in such a case things can get really missy
fourth and most important, u and i will lose all the fun of it ;)

just think of the cost of dental treatment and u won't feel anything anymore..

drive safely